The Eastside Neighborhoods Planning Council Page

Ridgewood Neighborhood Association

Who Are We?

By Joe Campana, ENPC Interim Coordinator

The Eastside Neighborhoods Planning Council (ENPC) is a coalition of 15 neighborhoods on Madison's Far Eastside. The group came together in late 2001, and the ENPC was provisionally recognized in 2002 so that interested residents and business leaders could sponsor community outreach forums (e.g. Highway 30/Thompson Dr./Intersection Evaluation) and community programs (e.g. Traffic Watch Program) and begin the formal process of establishing the planning council as an independent non-profit organization, funded through donations and grants, and officially recognized by and established through the City of Madison.

At the present time, an evolving organizing committee is tasked with developing goals, a mission statement, and bylaws which are important in order that the the ENPC be an officially registered and recognized community organization.

In general, the purpose of the ENPC is to improve the quality of life as well as protect and improve the economy of Madison's Far Eastside.

Objectives include:

Organizing and strengtening neighborhoods and promoting cooperation between them;

Promoting neighborhood involvement in community affairs and projects;

Facilitation of information sharing among neighborhoods;

Issue advocacy;

Community Development;

Establishing conscensus among neighborhoods and the local business community on:

Land use and urban planning;
Transportation alternatives and improvements;
Economic development, growth, and vitality.

Click the picture above to go to the official ENPC webpage!

Madison Comprehensive Plan Update

Madison (12.06.02)--The City of Madison Planning and Development Department has received a number of inquiries about the progress of the comprehensive plan after the series of open houses held in October and November. Currently staff members are compiling and reviewing comments gathered at the open houses. Nearly 1000 comments were submitted on Post-It notes by more than 200 Madison residents in response to information about Madison trends and questions about Madisons future direction. The comments will be used by staff to guide the subject matter of issue papers for each element or subject area of the Comprehensive Plan. The issue papers will be presented to various City councils, commissions, committees, and groups, as well as citizens in spring 2003. The issue papers will evolve into the required elements of the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the staff members are gathering background data for the Comprehensive Plan. This includes reviewing U.S. Census and other demographic data, analyzing land use, social, economic, and other trends in the city and region, and investigating the changes in neighborhoods, downtown, and the peripheral areas that have occurred in Madison over the last decade. This information will be used to project what will happen to Madison economically, socially, demographically, and physically in the next 20 years.

We hope to add a significant amount of information to the website soon, such as the comments from the open houses, draft issue papers, and a schedule of events. Please check the website (www.madisonplan.org) regularly for updates.

Comprehensive Planning Meeting Set

By Joe Campana, Acting Coordinator--Eastside Neighborhoods Planning Council

Madison (11.14.02)--Heard of "Smart Growth?" It's Wisconsin Legislation that calls for "Comprehensive Planning" or "Smart Growth" by each municipality. There are several elements that must be covered in the comprehensive plans to meet the letter of the law. This is the subject of tonight's open house at Kennedy School.

Last evening, I attended the Stoughton Road Corridor Needs Assessment Policy Advisory Board Meeting. One result of the study was maps that consolidated all the planned development east of us. All the wide open space east of Interstate 90-94 from Hwy 51 to south of the beltline is planned for HEAVY residential and retail development during the next 25 years. Tens of thousands of new homes and thousands of new jobs will result. What effect will that have on the Eastside?

Those maps will be a special feature at tonight's open house. I invite everyone to come out and take a look at what the future holds. Again, the Open House is tonight, Thursday Evening (November 14) at Kennedy Elementary School (211 Meadowlark Dr) from 7-9 PM. Several City Staff and Alders will be available for discussion. Please stop by and say hello. We'll be looking for neighborhood input concerning issues such as traffic/transportation, land use, utilities and community facilities, housing, economic development, intergovernmental cooperation, natural and cultural resources, bike and pedestrian plans, transit system plans, parks and open spaces, affordable housing, zoning, etc.

For more information about the Comprehensive Planning Legislation go to: www.doa.state.wi.us/pagesubtext_detail.asp?linksubcatid=366